Top 10 tips for keeping cows in the heat from the Ministry of Agriculture of the Republic of Tatarstan
The weather in Tatarstan is quite hot, so the Ministry of Agriculture and Food of the Republic of Tatarstan prepared the basic rules for keeping animals in the heat.
1. Particular attention should be paid to watering animals. So, water is the most important nutrient for cows in the summer. It is water that helps cooling a cow and improve feed intake. It is necessary to ensure constant access to fresh, clean and cool water, especially after milking.
The need in water doubles at a temperature of about 27 degrees, so, instead of 120 liters of water per day, a cow drinks 200 liters or more.
2. Drinkers should be washed regularly and positioned to encourage cows to drink water.
3. Watering troughs should be placed in the shade. Automatic drinkers can be installed, such as low-cost float systems to maintain water availability.
4. It is very important to control feed intake by animals, since the greatest limitation of milk production at high air temperatures is sufficient feed intake. Its reduction means that the density of all nutrients in the diet needs to be increased in order to preserve malnutrition.
It is possible to increase by 10% the share of mineral feed and feed salt in the diet, since heat stress provokes severe sweating and an imbalance of electrolytes. Also, additionally introduce antioxidants (organic selenium, vitamins E, C and carotenoids) into the diet to reduce oxidative processes in the body.
5. In order to minimize heat generation, most of the feed should be fed in the cool time of the day. For example, between 4-6 a.m. and between 9 and 11p.m.
6. Cool and fresh food is eaten more.
7. Shade curtains should be pulled over the pens and sheds should be made so that an animal is not exposed to direct sunlight at noon.
8. You can use several fans to stimulate heat transfer in animals. However, this method can only be used in low humidity conditions.
For example, slow fans with a diameter of 1.2-1.5 m are recommended to be installed in a row parallel to the aisle passages and sunbeds, as well as in the waiting area in front of the milking parlor, at an angle of 10-15 ° and a height of 2.7 m. Ensuring forced air movement from a speed of 1.3 m / s allows you to reduce the temperature in the room by 3.3 ° C, and at a speed of 2.5 m / s - by 5.6 ° C.
9. You should also open gates, doors, side walls, if possible, the ventilation holes on the roof and perforated plates on the gables for additional ventilation.
10. Do not distill animals in the heat, if not necessary.